News

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Myths abound in every culture. Stories of fairies, snow monsters and mermaids are great entertainment, but it is important to be able to separate fact from fiction.

RAYMOND, Miss. -- Parents know car seats are essential for children’s safety, but the task of choosing and installing one can be overwhelming for even the most savvy moms and dads.

“There are many different types of car seats, and parents should do a little research before going to the store,” said Lydia Bethay, associate director of the Mississippi State University Extension Service Early Learning Network. “The most important thing is to get the right seat for your child and to use it properly every time you get in the car, even on short trips.”

PONTOTOC, Miss. -- Sweet potato producers, researchers, industry representatives and crop consultants are invited to attend a field day on Aug. 27.

The event will be at the Pontotoc Ridge-Flatwoods Branch Experiment Station, located at 8320 Highway 15 South. Specialists and researchers with the Mississippi State University Extension Service and the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station will present the field day.

CHOCTAW, Miss. -- Farmers can learn about fall crop production during the Aug. 21 field day organized by the Alliance for Sustainable Agricultural Production.

The Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians will host the first of several rotating field days at their Farm I location, between Carthage and Kosciusko. Subsequent field days will be held at different farms throughout the state.

During the annual dog days of summer, it’s a really good thing to have reliable plants in the garden and landscape. One of my hot summer go-to plants is the lantana with its nonstop color.

Lantanas are versatile plants that will thrive in the heat and humidity, like the 118-degree heat index we had in Ocean springs this past week. Whew! There are many great lantana selections available for our gardens, from 4-foot specimens to sprawling ground-cover choices, which come in too many colors to list.

CARRIERE, Miss. -- Muscadine growers are invited to the Mississippi State University McNeill Research Unit in Pearl River County Aug. 29 to learn more about their crop.

The 2015 Muscadine Field Day at the MSU research unit will allow visitors to see fruit on the vine at the U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service cultivar trial vineyard. Speakers will address timely topics related to muscadine vines. Each year, more than 100 growers from Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama and Florida attend this educational event.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Mississippi’s officials seem sure the state is experiencing the calm before the storm as the poultry industry anticipates the arrival of bird flu later this year.

Tom Tabler, poultry specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said no new reports of highly pathogenic H5N2 avian influenza have occurred in the United States since June 17. Most 2015 outbreaks occurred in Minnesota, Iowa and surrounding states.

BILOXI, Miss. -- Mississippi fishermen remain intent on harvesting this year’s shrimp crop in the shallow waters of the Gulf of Mexico despite low prices and a season paused and restarted.

Dave Burrage, Mississippi State University Extension professor of marine resources at the Coastal Research and Extension Center in Biloxi, said the shrimp season first opened June 3, closed June 19 when shrimp were too small, and then reopened July 13.

“This season has been an anomaly so far,” Burrage said.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Life is generally better when you have a partner to go with you. Batman has Robin. Han Solo has Chewbacca. Sponge Bob has Patrick.

VERONA, Miss. -- The North Mississippi Research and Extension Center in Verona will hold a summer field day for fruit and vegetable producers on Aug. 26 at 7 a.m.

Registration will begin at 6:30 a.m. The event will begin with a covered wagon tour of the horticultural research projects in the field. Three short educational updates will follow in the auditorium. Growers will have the opportunity to network with colleagues and ask questions of Mississippi State University experts.

Many Mississippians are aware of the damage wild hogs do to the land in the region, but they may not know the Mississippi River and surrounding waters are facing a serious threat from another invasive species -- the Asian carp.

One of the most frequent calls I get in the summer concerns lawns and ground covers under trees, where sunlight is limited. Most callers want grass in these areas and realize the limitations presented by the shade.

My go-to answer is an unwavering: “Why not plant liriope?” Liriope is a versatile groundcover that is very effective under large trees with reduced light or mass-planted on slopes. It also creates soft borders and edging for paved areas and foundations.

BILOXI, Miss. -- The first in a six-part floral design workshop series for the public will be Aug. 1 at the Coastal Research and Extension Center in Biloxi.

Long-time Mississippi State University floral professor Jim DelPrince, who joined the MSU Extension Service July 1, will kick off the series with a how-to class on flower crowns.

“All of these programs are hands-on, make-and-take classes,” DelPrince said. “I want the series to reveal who’s out there and what they are interested in learning about, so there are various topics on a variety of days and times.”

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Long before Charlie Weatherly earned the state’s 2015 Master Gardener of the Year honor, his family roots were dug deep into the Mississippi soil.

Although he retired from Mississippi State University in 1997, Weatherly has not strayed far from the land-grant institution’s campus or mission. How could he? As a child, he frequently came to campus with his father, Ernest, who was a county agent for what is now the MSU Extension Service.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Wet spring weather prevented Mississippi farmers from planting as many corn acres as they intended, but despite the heat, the crop is mostly looking good in fields across the state.

“We should have a good crop this year, but it won’t be a record,” said Erick Larson, Mississippi State University Extension Service corn specialist. “The planted acreage is down from what was intended because it was terribly rainy during spring planting, which delayed planting and restricted corn acreage.”

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- A new mobile application can help Mississippians and visitors find high-speed Internet connections based on location.

Connect Mississippi funded the development of an app and a website that promotes broadband adoption and supports innovative broadband solutions. Both were developed by the Mississippi State University Extension Service Center for Technology Outreach.

PETAL, Miss. -- The Early Years Network: Special Needs program is hosting a free Developmental Screening Day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Aug. 18 in Forrest County.

A team of early childhood specialists with the network’s special needs program will conduct screenings at the Petal School District Center for Families and Children, located at 201 West Central Avenue in Petal.

Children 6 months to 5 years will be checked for age-specific physical and educational milestones at no cost to parents.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- The Early Years Network: Special Needs program is hosting a free Developmental Screening Day from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Starkville Aug. 18.

A team of early childhood specialists with the network’s special needs program will conduct screenings at the Child Development and Family Studies Center, located at 501 Collegeview Street in Starkville.

Children 6 months to 5 years will be checked for age-specific physical and educational milestones at no cost to parents.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Squirrels look cute and cuddly, but anyone who tries to feed birds knows they can be persistent thieves at the bird feeder.

Although squirrels traditionally gather nuts, seeds, acorns, mushrooms, insects and leaves from forested habitats, they also enjoy readily available food from backyard and agricultural habitats, which often causes conflict between squirrels and homeowners.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- The Mississippi State University Extension Service is offering two deer management workshops in August to hunters and professionals working with white-tailed deer populations.

The first workshop will be held at the Mississippi Natural Science Museum in Jackson on Aug. 15. The second workshop will be held at Thompson Hall on the MSU campus in Starkville on Aug. 22.

A $50 registration fee for each workshop includes lunch and class materials. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. The programs will begin at 9 a.m. and conclude at 4 p.m.